1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to man overboard rescue systems and methods. The man overboard situation is a much more difficult marine problem than many people perceive, and the present invention provides a reliable retrieval method. A typical use of the present invention is to rescue a sailboat crew member in the most exigent situation, namely, where there is a two-person crew and one of them goes overboard requiring a single-handed pickup by the other in fresh wind and sea conditions, exacerbated by cold water temperatures of 50.degree. F. or less which are commonly present in northern waters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two case histories may be described to illustrate the great need for the present invention. The first case occurred on a gray, rainy winter day on Puget Sound. Gale warnings had been up since early morning. The race committee set the starting line and the fleet worked to windward against a freshening southwest wind. One of the smaller competitors was a 26-foot Thunderbird sailboat crewed by a man and wife. It fell behind its competitors and was soon sailing alone.
The Thunderbird was beginning to be overpowered and the couple decided to reduce sail. The man went forward to muzzle the jib; in the process, it blew back up the forestay. He lurched for it and slipped over the side. Immediately, he grabbed the lee shrouds. His wife had experience in steering the boat, but never in an emergency situation. She maintained course; he could not pull himself aboard and, gradually weakening, slipped away. The woman, panic stricken, continued her course right through the surf and onto a beach. One week later, the man's float coat was found eight miles north. He was never seen again. The incident was widely discussed in sailing circles for some months afterward.
The second case history repeated the first incident with a variation. It was Labor Day weekend. A couple and their daughter were sailing a 26-foot sloop on Puget Sound. A dark squall blew over them. The husband clipped a harness to the rail as he went forward to lower the jib. He slipped and went overboard. As in the first incident, his wife maintained course. The tether to the man's lifeline was over six feet long, just enough to tow him at over six knots in the quarter wave. The husband was unable to release himself or climb aboard and drowned within two minutes.
From the study of many such case histories, some conclusions may be drawn: (1) a reliable boat handling method known to at least two crew members is a must; (2) visual contact with the victim must be maintained; (3) the use of engines may be dangerous, especially with the inexperienced boat handler; (4) drowning, not hypothermia, is the primary danger; (5) hypothermia will be substantially reduced if the victim can get out of the water even though soaking wet; (6) panic must be dealt with; (7) some lifting device to get the victim back aboard is necessary; (8) following the victim into the water is risky and probably ineffective; (9) man overboard prevention including harness gear should be employed; and (10) life jackets are a must.
Some published recommendations are as follows. Pickup under sail on a close reach was recommended after a successful pickup with a full crew of a man standing on the up-turned bottom of a small craft. John Rousmaniere, "Rescue In The Solent," Yachting, April 1983. Recording the log, starting a stop watch, then calling all hands on deck to turn the boat around is another suggestion. Sydney H. Rogers, "Man Overboard Rescue," Yachting, March 1981. One writer compares the attributes of a tack and luff approach with the "classic man overboard maneuver" described as an immediate jibe, then an approach on a gradual luff. Erroll Bruce, This Is Rough Water Cruising, Sail Books, Inc./W. W. Norton Co. 1980. Dropping all sails and starting the engine was successfully used in the 1977 Whitbread Race by Robin Knox-Johnson (with full racing crew it took 20 minutes). He recommends this as a standard procedure. Robin Knox-Johnson, "Get the Man Overboard Back Aboard," Pacific Yachting. Eric Tabarley describes a methodology of throwing the man overboard a pole, heading at right angles to the wind, proceeding a few lengths, bearing away and jibing, luffing onto a reach, coming up wind, tacking with jib aback, and thus heaving to the windward of the person in the water. Eric Tabarley, Practical Yacht Handling, David McKay Company, Inc. Another method is to maintain and log your course, throw a horseshoe-type flotation device, drop sails, and power back. Rick Friese, "Man Overboard!" Cruising World, December 1983.
The prior art also includes the Kadematic and Speedymat rescue systems which involve circling the victim, but the disclosed rescue vest does not appear to have the capability of being used to hoist the victim onboard.